A man in Bhubaneswar tonsured his wife’s head, used a red-hot nail to remove a black mole on her chin, stabbed her with a broken tube light and stitched her private parts.

The horrific incident occurred about a week ago but came to light after the woman’s brother filed a police complaint on September 28. The accused, a tent house owner, has been arrested by the police.

According to the complaint, 32-year-old Ranjan Panda got married to the 28-year-old victim in 2005. He started torturing her a year after their marriage as he felt she had not brought enough dowry and suspected her of having extramarital affairs. They have a seven-year-old son.

In 2012, the woman had complained against Panda to the women’s police station but a compromise was worked out after he said he will mend his ways. However, the woman said the intensity of torture increased after that.

On the night of September 24, Panda administered sedatives to his wife. After she lost consciousness, he shaved her head, removed a black mole on her chin with a red-hot nail, stabbed her in stomach with a broken tube light, stitched her private parts and left her to die.

As her condition became critical, Panda’s family members took his wife to a private hospital on September 27 but when doctors asked them to take her to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack, they left her there and fled.

The victim’s brother got to know about her plight through the staff at the private hospital and rushed her to HiTech Medical College Hospital and reported the matter to the police the next day.